Luminous sign



W. R. WALLING LUMINOUS SIGN Jand 12, 1932.

Filed July 25, 1930 lllll I m FTORNEY.

INVENTOR.' W//m l?. Wa//fn BY @y Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Application led July 23, 1930. Serial No. 469,971.

This invention relates to signs and more articularly to a luminous sign whichmay Ee used for designating the number of a house or other building or street name. This in- -vention is an improvement on my luminous sign disclosed in my application lfiled January 10, 1930, Serial No. 419,833.

The general object of the invention is to provide a practical and efficientluminous sign which will most effectively illuminate and exhibit its characters most distinctly, both in the daytime and at night, so that the sign may be easily and readily read at all times. V

Another object is to provide Va sign of the character stated which is protected from the weather.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

drawings which forms a part of the specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my sign.

- Fi 2 is a transverse vertical section of my sign taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a modilied form of my invention.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation partly in section of another modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the sign plate.

Fig. 6 is a face view of one of the sign characters.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the sign plate and one of the sign characters taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters in all the figures.

My invention comprises generally a hous- 0 ing 1, a sign plate 2 and sign characters 3.

vThe housing 1 is formed with a rear wall 4, lower wall 5, upper wall 6 and end walls 7, leaving the housing open at the front, the lower wall 5 being inclined downwardly and the upper wall 6 being inclined upwardly from the rear wall 4 to shed the weather and to permit easy visibility of the sign. The rear wall 4 is provided at each end with two screw holes 8. The inner surfaces of the lower wall 5, upper wall 6 and end walls 7 are The invention is illustrated in the annexed coated with luminous preferably white. v

The sign plate 2 is oblong and of a size to fit closely within the housing with its rear side adjacent the rear wall 4 of the housing 1 and with its lower edge, upper edge and end edges adjacent the lower wall 5, upper wall 6 and end walls 7 respectively of the housing. The sign plate is provided with two screw holes l0 at each end and with two slots 11 and 12 extending longitudinally thereof adjacent the lower edge and upper edge respectively of the sign plate. The front face of the sign plate 2 is coated with luminous paint 9 of light color corresponding to the color of the paint on the lower, upper and end walls of the housing 1.

The characters 3 are preferably of metal concavo-convex in cross section and are formed with tongues 13 and 14 projecting respectively from the lower edge and the u per edge thereof. The outer faces of t e characters 3 are coated with a dark-colored non-luminous paint 15, preferably dull black.

The characters 3 are placed upon the face of the sign plate 2 with'their outer dark faces exposed and the tongues 13 and 14 are inserted through the slots 11 and 12 respectively of the sign plate and bent against the back of the sign plate for detachably holding the characters on the sign plate.

The holes 10 in the sign plate register with the holes 8 in the rear wall 4 of the housing 1 when the sign plate is in the housing and the sign plate is secured in the housing and the housing secured on standards 16 by means of screw bolts 17 and nuts 18, which screw bolts are extended through the holes 10 in the sign plate 2, holes 8 in the rear wall 4 of the housing 1 and through the upper portion of the standards 16 and which nuts l18 are screwed' on the rear ends of said screw bolts against the rear side of said standards. The standards 16 are pointed at their lower ends so that they may be driven in the ground for 95 supporting the sign on a lawn in front of a house.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 3 a plate of glass 19 or any transparent material is mounted on the screw 10 paint 9 of light color,

` the upper housing wall 6, throug 'ing 1, instead of bein mounted on standbolts 17 and is spaced a short distance in .front of the sign plate 2 and characters 3 by means of spacing sleeves 20, the bolts 17 extending through the plate and sleeves. The glass 19 shields the sign plate and characters from the weather. The width of the glass 19 is slightly less than the distance between the lower wall 5 and upper wall 6 of the housing 1, leaving air spaces 21 between the lower edge of the glass and the. lower housing wall 5 and between the upper edge of the lass and which s aces 21 air passes for circulation through t 1e space between the sign plate 2 and characters 3 and the glass 19, whereby condensation on the sign plate and characters Ais prevented. y

In the .modified .form of my invention shown in Fig. 4 screws 22 are substituted for the screw bolts 17 and nuts 18, andthe housards, is secured to the ront of a building 23 by said screws 22 which are extended through the openings 10 in the sign plate 2 and the openings 8 in the rear wall 4 of the housing and are driven into the building.

The lower wall 5, upper wall 6 and end walls 7 of the housing 1 and the face of the sign -plate 2, which are painted with the luminous paint 9 of light color, provide a maximum luminous area which illuminates the sign most brilliantly and causes the dark characters 3 of the sign to stand out most distinctly in the daytime and at night.

I claim as my invention:

1. A luminous si comprising a housin open at the front, t e lower, upper and en walls of said housing being painted with a luminous paint of light color, a sign plate mounted in the housing, the face of said plate being painted with a luminous aint of light color, and characters on said p ate, the faces of said characters being of a dark color.

2. A luminous sign comprising a housin open at the front, the lower, upper and en walls of said housing bein painted with a luminous paint of light co or, a sign plate mounted in the housing, the face of said plate being painted with a luminous aint of light color, and characters on said p ate, the

5. A sign comprising a housing open at the front and provided with screw holes in its rear wall, a sign plate provided with slots and with screw ,holes arranged to re ister with the screw holes in the rear wall o said housing, characters formed with tongues extended through said slots and bent against thev back of said plate, and screws extended through the screw holes in said rear housing wall and said plate and into a support for detachably securing said housing on the support and said plate in said housin' with said bent tongues on the back wall o the plate against the rear wall of the housing.

WILLIAM R. WALLING.`

faces of said characters being of a dark color,

and a transparent plate mounted in said housirg a short distance forwardly of said sign p ate. r

3. A luminous sign comprising a housing open at the front, the'lower, upper and end walls of said housing bein painted with a luminous paint of light co or, a sign plate mounted in the housing, the face of said plate being painted with a luminous aint of light color, and characters on said plate, the faces of said characters being of a dark color, and a transparent plate mounted in said housing a short distance forwardly of said sign plate, the lower and the upper edges of 

